SCIENTIFIC COLLABORATION OF ADVANCED/DEVELOPING COUNTRIES IN BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES:THE CASE OF THE MARACA RAIN FOREST PROJECT

Abstract

The research reported here makes the assumption that collaboration projects on biological diversity in rain forest involving advanced and developing countries are necessary. However, they have to be evaluated so that lessons can be learned and benefits explicit. In line with the above, the paper looks at one specific collaboration project - the Maracá Rain Forest Project - which was carried out jointly by the Royal Geographical Society of UK and the Amazônia National Research Institute (INPA) of Brazil. It was conducted in site during 18 months, involving up to 50 British scientists and aimed at making an ecological survey of the Maracá Island in the Brazilian Amazon. A heated debate in Brazil about problems of giving access to foreign scientists of the Amazonian natural resources was raised. The paper, which is mainly methodological in its objective, presents an analysis of this project - from its negotiation phase to its final results - and provides subsidies for the design of future international collaboration initiatives in the region.